I'm beginning to believe we have fallen victim to our own conventional wisdom. It is heavily touted among Republicans, and even acknowledged among many Democrats...that Ronald Reagan played a pivotal role in the fall of the Soviet Union. How did he do it? Our Star Wars program along with other costly buildups forced the Soviet Union into a race that they could not economically afford. The consequence proved fatal to the Soviet Union; perhaps it was not the only nail in the coffin, but it was probably the final nail.I largely agree with the assessment that much of our downturn can be traced back to the irresponsible costs of the Iraq War. Had we kept our focus on Afghanistan, the costs might not have been as high. Had George W. Bush not insisted on keeping his 2001 tax cuts in place after 9/11, he would have been able to pay for his war.
Over the past eight years the cards have been turned on the United States. We have been placed in a position of attempting to compete in a race to fight terror, among a largely unknown enemy. The United States is pouring billions of dollars into efforts to protect national security - attempts that remain unproven and devastating to our economy.
Was there no lesson that Ronald Reagan taught us? Did we not learn that a country fighting to stay ahead of an unknown threat is destined for self economic destruction?
It might take a Republican to understand the economics of a Republican, but it takes a Democrat to point out just how wrong they are. I suppose better the Democrats point it out now, instead of the terrorist mostly laying in wait...watching and laughing as we create our own demise.
But Ben's arugument that we are in this mess because of our attempts to defeat terrorism isn't all of it. This economic collapse is also the work of Republican led efforts to de-regulate everything. In this instance, as with the terror-fighting efforts, the Republicans (and by extension, since they continually vote for them, Americans) don't seem to have learned their lesson. I am by no means an expert on economic issues, but it seems to me that without the proper safeguards in place the economic atmosphere is ripe for collapse. We learned this the hard way in 1929, and so, starting with the 1932 election (FDR), we began a very long, hard road to recovery. We altered course yet again when we saw the looming storm in 1992 - after 12 years of Republican rule. Yet that was only a temporary fix, because in 2000 we reverted back to a Republican presidency. The result was disastrous; America's course was changed and we began a horrifying journey toward oblivion. And when we had a chance to stop the coming calamity in 2004, we opted to leave Mr. Bush in place. And now...here we are...like Thelma and Louise...flying off the proverbial cliff.
The current meltdown and the coming recession (depression?) should serve as a hard lesson for every American. Republicans are not fiscal conservatives. They are not steady stewards of our economy (nor foreign policy for that matter). The current administration has been more reckless with our tax dollars than all of the administrations before it combined. In fact, I'd say their economic performance on all fronts borders on criminal.
And if you think for a minute that a John McCain presidency would be any different, I have a lovely bridge in Alaska I'd like to sell you.
